As early as 1903, motorized bicycles were being fitted with larger and heavier loop frames designed to specifically accommodate larger displacement engines, which produced higher speeds. These new motorbike frame designs soon incorporated a new riding position which no longer centered the rider over the pedals, but instead moved the rider's feet forward, where they rested on pegs or platforms. The new riding position was designed to increase rider comfort and control when using the motor for propulsion, and soon owners began relying on the gasoline motor for all but emergency use. Front suspension and (on some machines) rear suspension increased control at high speeds. By 1915, some manufacturers were omitting pedal propulsion entirely, resulting in the introduction of the first true modern motorcycle.
Derny motor-pacing cycle is a motor mounted in a frame, with drive via the chain to the rear wheel. Many years later, manufacturers would re-introduce this concept as the moped, a small motorcycle fitted with pedals that can be used as a starting aid but which cannot, practically, be ridden under pedal power alone. In France, the gasoline-powered motorized bicycle was popular during the 1930s, and continued to be widely sold in early postwar years as a means of transportation during a period of gasoline shortages and limited automobile production.
In the 1930s, the “clip-on” motors were developed for bicycles (35 to 49 cc), followed by the “Autocycle” with a purpose-built frame incorporating pedals and a two-stroke engine, but without a gearbox. In 1939, the American bolt-on Whizzer gas-engined bicycle kit was introduced, utilizing a 138 cc side-valve four-stroke engine and belt drive. In the United Kingdom, the motorized bicycle saw a resurgence of popularity and such bolt-on motors as the Cyclaid and the Cyclemaster motor wheel had brief periods of immense popularity. The Cyclemaster, which was a hub motor which could be fitted to an ordinary bike, started at 25 cc, but later the size went up to 32 cc.
During the 1960s, the moped craze arrived in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries. Mopeds had been produced for years in France and Italy, but were largely unknown in other countries. The moped's surge in popularity was motivated by the arrival of new machines which could be operated without a driving license and with a minimum of effort to meet existing regulation by the authorities. The new moped designs were really low-powered motorcycles, equipped with pedals largely to meet legal requirements. Most could only be pedaled with difficulty over short distances on level ground.
Motorized bicycles are still being developed both as complete designs and as add-on motor kits for use on standard bicycles, either by part-time hobbyists or by commercial manufacturers. With the development of new, lighter, and more powerful batteries, electric motors for power assist are increasingly popular, often using hub motors to facilitate after-market conversions. Converting bicycles or tricycles has proven useful for some people with physical disabilities such as knee injury or arthritis.
Currently there are several U.S. companies manufacturing aftermarket internal combustion engine (ICE) motor conversion kits for conventional bicycles. These include both four-stroke and two-stroke gasoline engine designs. Among these companies include a rear-engine (rack-mounted) kit using a belt to drive the rear wheel or a rack-mount with a either a tire roller-mount (friction drive) or a chain-driven, geared transmission. Other manufacturers produce kits using small two- or four-stroke gas engines mounted in the central portion of the bicycle frame, and incorporating various types of belt- or chain-driven transmissions and final drives.
Motorized bicycles using electric motors have also re-entered the market. Electrically-powered bicycles use batteries, which have a limited capacity and thus a limited range, particularly when large amounts of power are utilized. This design limitation means that the use of the electric motor as an assist to pedal propulsion is more emphasized than is the case with an internal combustion engine.
While costly, new types of lithium batteries along with electronic controls now offer users increased power and range while reducing overall weight. Newer electric motor bicycle designs are gaining increasing acceptance, particularly in countries where increasing traffic congestion, aging populations, and concern for the environment have stimulated development and usage. Concurrently, bicycles have become an excellent form of exercise, ranging from stationary bicycles used in “spinning classes”, mountain bicycles for off road riding and street and beach bicycles. However, the range of the bicycle ride is determined by the terrain and the physical condition of the rider.
To improve the range, the methods, systems, devices and apparatus of the present invention provides an electric motor assist bicycle having a hub motor mounted to the front or rear hub to provide electric motor assist. The bicycle hub motor can be a molded or wound magnetic flux channel transverse wound stator permanent magnet motor connected to rechargeable batteries to provide electric motor assistance to the rider during travel and operating as a generator to recharge the batteries.